Compass



H. WAGNER.

COMPASS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1914.

1 1 9 5,300. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

@IQFZ.

HERMANN WAGNER, OF WATERLOO, WISCONSIN.

COMPASS.

Application filed January 15, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN WVAGNER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of IVaterloo, in the county .of Jefierson and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Compasses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

In a compass for determining directions by the pointing of-a magnetic needle free to turn in a horizontal plane, there is always an uncertain deflection of the needle from its north and south pole or true meridian position, owing to unequal magnetization of said needle, as well as to terrestrial magnetization and other magnetic influences to which it is susceptible.

A compass in accordance with my invention for the purpose aforesaid embodies a device by which to compensate for such de flections, by simply turning the card within the ring by hand to the meridian position.

Said invention consists in what is hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a partly sectional elevation of a stationary self-leveling compass having the magnetic element thereof poisedoupon a center pivot in a horizontal plane over means by which it may be lifted clear of the pivot, the section being on the plane indicated by line 11 in the next described illustration; Fig. 2, a plan View of the compass partly in horizontal section, this View being indicated by line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3, ahorizontal sectional view indicated by line 3-3 in said Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 4- indicates a casing having a cover 5 of glass or other suitable transparent material, and this casing is shown in gimbal connection with a stationary stand of which 6 is an upper horizontal circular element having legs 7 In rigid connection with the bottom of the casing 4 and with the gimbal-ring 8 at a right angle to the axes of said casing and ring are depending bows 9 and'adjustable on a lower horizontal stretch of each bow is a balancing weight 10 held in adjusted position by a set-screw 11 therewith. Fast in the bottom of the casing is a central vertical pivot 12 and opposing the upper pointed end of the pivot is preferably a jewel bearing 13 in an upper cap 14 central Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 191$.

Serial No. 812,222.

, my invention as herein claimed.

Designed to have frictional engagement with the magnetized steel ring 16 or be otherwise detachably secured in connection with the same are upper and lower hemispherical shells 17 and 18 of magnetiferous material. Encompassing the globular body formed by the ring 16 and shells 17, 18, is an outer rotary adjustable horizontal index card or plate 19, and as a matter of detail, this index is shown in frictional engagement with the shell 17 upon an outer horizontal flange of the same,-but the rotary adjustable connection of said card or plate with the globular body aforesaid may be varied indefinitely without departure from my invention as herein claimed.

The graduations of both of the indexes aforesaid are similar to those of an ordinary compass-card, and the lower shell 18 is provided with a polar aperture through which the pivot 12 extends.

The inner index 15 is employed for compass-readings when the shell 17 and the in dex 19 therewith is detached, it being understood that the compass is provided with the usual lubber-line ormark (not shown) on the circumscribing casing 4: to indicate the head of a ship upon which said compass may be utilized.

Any suitable means may be provided for lifting the bearing 13 away from the pivotpoint when the compass is not in use, the means shown being a flanged tube 20 opposing the lower shell 18 and surmounting an inclined plane of a longitudinal slide 21 on the bottom of the casing 4, a forked spring 22 in connection with the casing-bottom being astraddle of the tube on the flange thereof to hold said tube in contact with the slide. The pivot 12 extends through the slot in the slide and a handle 23 of said slide extends through the wall of the easing 4,

The steel ring 16 is magnetized and properly tested in a non-magnetic room to adjust its polarity to true meridian position, the test being completed when it is found that said ring oscillated in a horizontal plane upon a center pivot will always come to rest in the same position, after which the compass is assembled, its index or indexes being adjusted to have the north and south pole indicators alined on the true meridian. The ring is magnetized by stroking it with a horseshoe or bar magnet in one direction, thus bringing the magnetism of all the molecules of the steel in said ring into the same direction, the result being a precise point where the magnetism is at maximum intensity. Because of the form of my compass member 16 and its magnetism in one direction by one element it is immaterial that the precise point of magnetic intensity of the ring be in a line due north and south, because the index-card 15 is adjustable in said ring to the geographical meridian.

The hemispherical shells 17 and 18 of magnetiferous material are for the purpose of intercepting magnetic influences and con ducting them to the ring 16, whereby said ring as the magnetic element of the compass is strengthened, but when said influences emanating from above are not to be considered, the upper one of said shells and the index therewith may be removed.

I claim:

1. A compass of the kind described 0 which the magnetic element thereof is in the form of a one piece magnetized ring having its inner surface provided with a card seat, and an index card adjustably engaging the seat.

2. A compass of the kind specified of which the magnetic element thereof is in the form of a one piece steel ring, a circularindex-card in rotatably adjustable connection with the ring, a vertical pivot upon which the adjusted card has central bearing to turn in a horizontal plane, and an under, hemispherical shell of magnetiferous material in detachable connection .with said ring to turn Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

therewith, the shell being provided with a polar aperture through which said pivot extends.

3. A compass of the kind specified of which the magnetic element thereof is in the form of a one piece steel ring, a circular index-card in rotatably adjustable connection with the ring, a. vertical pivot upon which the adjusted card has central bearing to turn in a horizontal plane, upper and lower hemispherical shells of magnetiferous material in detachable connection with said ring to turn therewith, the lower shellbeing prorided' with a polar aperture through which said pivot extends; and anothercircular and horizontal index-card in rotatably' adjustable connection with the upper shell outside of the same.

a. A compass of the kind specified of which the magnetic element thereof is in the form of a one piece steel ring, said ring having its inner surface provided with a bead forming a card seat a circular index card in rotatably adjustable connection with the seat of the ring, avertical pivot upon which the adjusted card has central bearing to turn in a horizontal plane, andmeans by which to provide for a separation of the bearing from the pivot.

5. A compass of the kind specified of which the magnetic element thereof is in the form of a one piece steel ring, said ring having its inner surface provided with a bead forming a card seat, an index-card in rotatably adjustable connection with the seat of the ring, and a vertical pivot upon which the adjusted card has central bearing to turn in a horizontal plane, a gimbal hung casing for the compass, and means for balancing the casing and a ring of the gimbal joint.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I havehereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin inthe presence of two witnesses.

7 HEBMANN l/VAGNER.

lVitnesses: I p l J N. F. OLIPHANT, M. E, DOWNEY.

Washington, I). G. 

